Cabinet

Cabinet in the United States

U.S. Cabinet (of the Government)

The Cabinet of the U.S. government is made up of the administrative heads of the executive departments of the federal government, under the president of the United States. The Cabinet consists of the secretary of state, the secretary of the treasury, the secretary of defense, the attorney general, the secretary of the interior, the secretary of agriculture, the secretary of commerce, the secretary of labor, the secretary of health and human services, the secretary of housing and urban development, the secretary of transportation, the secretary of energy, the secretary of education, the secretary of veterans affairs, and the secretary of homeland security. The vice president also participates, and the president may accord Cabinet rank to other executive-branch officials.

Cabinet members are appointed by the president with the approval of the United States Senate and may be removed by the president either at will or as a result of censure or impeachment by Congress. Unless they resign or are removed, Cabinet members serve for the duration of the term or terms of the president who appoints them. The salaries of Cabinet officers are fixed by Congress.

The Cabinet as a governmental institution is not provided for in the Constitution of the United States. It developed as an advisory body out of the president’s need to consult the heads of the executive departments on matters of federal policy and on problems of administration. Aside from its role as a consultative and advisory body, the Cabinet has no function and wields no executive authority. The president may or may not consult the Cabinet and is not bound by the advice of the Cabinet. Furthermore, the president may seek advice outside the Cabinet; a group of such informal advisers is known in American history as a kitchen cabinet. The formal Cabinet meets at times set by the president, usually once a week.

According to the constitutional provision barring persons holding federal office from being members of the legislative branches of the federal government, Cabinet officers may not be members of Congress. Cabinet members in the United States, therefore, unlike their counterparts in other countries, have no direct legislative function, but are consulted by or give testimony before congressional committees. A Cabinet officer may speak in Congress by a special vote of the branch of the legislature desiring to hear him or her.

Because the executive departments of the federal government are equally subordinate to the president, Cabinet officers are of equal rank, but ever since the administration of George Washington, the secretary of state, who administers foreign policy, has been regarded as the chief Cabinet officer. In 1886 Congress enacted legislation stipulating the order of succession of Cabinet officers to the presidency “in case of [the] removal, death, resignation, or inability of both the President and Vice President.” The secretary of state headed the list. In 1947 Congress, in order to give prior eligibility to elected members of the government in the order of succession to the presidency, modified the act of 1886, placing the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate, in that order, before any Cabinet members.

The Cabinet of George Washington consisted of the secretaries of state, the treasury, and war, and the attorney general. In 1798, following the creation of a separate navy department, the secretary of the navy became a member. The postmaster general was added in 1829. As Congress created new executive departments, further additions to the Cabinet were made as follows: the secretary of the interior in 1849, the secretary of agriculture in 1889, and the secretary of commerce and labor in 1903. After the division of the Department of Commerce and Labor into two separate departments in 1913, the secretary of labor became a Cabinet officer. In accordance with legislation unifying the armed forces, in 1949 the secretary of defense, previously a coordinator of the three military departments, received Cabinet rank. The secretary of health, education, and welfare (now known as health and human services) became a Cabinet officer in 1953 when the department was established, as did the secretary of housing and urban development in 1965, the secretary of transportation in 1967, the secretary of energy in 1977, the secretary of education in 1980, the secretary of veterans affairs in 1989, and the secretary of homeland security in 2003, when those departments were officially established. (1)

Cabinet in the History

At the beginning of the XX Century, the Cabinet was a group of certain officers who, taken collectively, form a council or advisory board; as the cabinet of the president of the United States, which is composed of the secretary of state, the secretary of the treasury, the secretary of the interior, the secretary of war, the secretary of the navy, the secretary of agriculture, the attorney general, the secretary of commerce, the secretary of labor, and the postmaster general.

According to the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution, “whether or not the President should have a cabinet or council was a leading issue at the constitutional convention. Such bodies were prevalent in the colonial governments and in the states that succeeded them.”

Cabinet Departments

Note that all departments are headed by a secretary, except the Justice Department, which is headed by the attorney general.

The Department Of Agriculture:
Created in 1862.

The Department Of Commerce:
Created in 1903. The Department of Commerce and Labor split into two separate departments in 1913.

The Department Of Defense:
Amalgamated in 1947. The Department of Defense was established by combining the Department of War (established in 1789), the Department of the Navy (established in 1798) and the Department of the Air Force (established in 1947). Although the secretary of defense is a member of the Cabinet, the secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force are not.

The Department Of Education:
Created in 1979. Formerly part of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

The Department Of Energy:
Created in 1977.

The Department Of Health And Human Services:
Created in 1979, when the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (created in 1953) was split into separate entities.

The Department Of Housing And Urban Development:
Created in 1965.

The Department Of The Interior:
Created in 1849.

The Department Of Justice:
Created in 1870. Between 1789 and 1870, the attorney general was a member of the Cabinet, but not the head of a department.

The Department Of Labor:
Created in 1913.

The Department Of State:
Created in 1789.

The Department Of Transportation:
Created in 1966.

The Department Of The Treasury:
Created in 1789.

The Department Of Veterans Affairs:
Created in 1988. Formerly the Veterans Administration, now elevated to Cabinet level.

Concept of Cabinet

In the U.S., in the context of Presidency and Executive Power, Cabinet has the following meaning: The President appoints the heads of the key agencies of the executive branch, who also serve as close advisors (“cabinet members”) to the president. This authority is based on Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, which says that the President “may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices.” Cabinet officials are appointed by the president, with confirmation by the Senate. They may not be a member of Congress or hold other elected office. The President meets with his cabinet regularly, as well as conferring with the individual cabinet members. Congress and Presidents designate, by law, which officials hold Cabinet rank. (Source of this definition of Cabinet : University of Texas)

Cabinet

Cabinet in the U.S. Legal History

Summary

This term refers to the heads of the executive departments.

Cabinet Background

Resources

See Also

  • Presidency
  • Executive Power

Cabinet in the U.S. Legal History

Summary

This term refers to the heads of the executive departments.

Cabinet Background

Resources

Notes and References

  1. Encarta Online Encyclopedia

See Also

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